NASA New Nuclear Rocket Engine to Mars in a day somehow faster&better than SpaceX Starship...
NASA New Nuclear Rocket Engine to Mars in a day somehow faster&better than SpaceX Starship...
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NASA New Nuclear Rocket Engine to Mars in a day somehow faster&better than SpaceX Starship...
When you hear “nuclear energy,” what comes to mind?
For many, it’s the dark side: nuclear weapons, war, and destruction. But scientists are rewriting that story. That dangerous power is now being harnessed for ambitious goals: powering submarines, generating electricity, and even propelling rockets into deep space.
And the next big leap? Nuclear rocket engines.
NASA’s been chasing this technology since the mid-20th century, and they believe it could outperform even the most powerful chemical engines, like mighty Starship’s Raptors, when it comes to specific impulse, fuel efficiency, and durability on long missions.
Imagine cutting a trip to Mars from 6 months to a few weeks, that’s something no current rocket can pull off.
Sadly, Trump’s new budget cuts are putting the future of this game-changing project at risk of being scrapped entirely.
So, what exactly is this nuclear engine? How does it stack up against SpaceX’s Raptor?
And can it survive the political shift?
Let’s dive into all that in today’s episode of Alpha Tech.
NASA New Nuclear Rocket Engine to Mars in a day somehow faster&better than SpaceX Starship...
In a newly announced round of budget cuts from the Trump administration, NASA’s funding will drop from $24.8 billion this year to just $18.8 billion by fiscal year 2026. One of the biggest casualties was the termination of the experimental nuclear thermal rocket engine program.
NASA’s partner on the DRACO mission, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, has confirmed it’s shutting down the project due to the cuts, and transferring the technology to other agencies.
It’s a real loss for anyone following this project, as it held enormous promise compared to traditional chemical engines.
So why is it better? To understand that, let’s rewind and see how traditional rocket engines got their start.
NASA New Nuclear Rocket Engine to Mars in a day somehow faster&better than SpaceX Starship...
Traditional chemical rocket engines, especially the liquid-fueled kind, have long been the backbone of modern space missions.
The idea dates back to 1903, when Russian scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky first proposed the theory behind them.
Later, American physicist Robert H. Goddard, often considered the father of modern rocketry, brought that theory to life. Building on Tsiolkovsky’s ideas, he developed a working engine, one that he would spend more than 20 years refining.
In 1926, Robert Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket in Auburn, Massachusetts, using liquid oxygen and gasoline.
Back then, the local press barely noticed.
But that quiet moment marked the dawn of a new era—one that would accelerate rapidly after World War II, when the U.S. and the Soviet Union plunged into a fierce space race.
Over the following decades, engineers pushed the limits of chemical propulsion, creating engines that would go on to become icons of space exploration.
Think of America’s mighty F-1, which launched the Saturn V to the Moon, or the RS-25s that powered the Space Shuttle. There’s also Russia’s RD-180 on the Atlas V, and SpaceX’s Merlin on the Falcon 9.
But stealing the spotlight in this new era? The Raptor, SpaceX’s cutting-edge engine built to take Starship to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Raptor is now considered the most powerful rocket engine in the world, thanks to its use of the full-flow staged combustion cycle, an advanced and extremely rare design.
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